Support Our Troops and Veterans Park news

Masai war club engraved with “Support Our Troops - Thank You”

Masai war club engraved with “Support Our Troops – Thank You”

Charles Runner, President

News from the Troops. SOT has received quite a few emails, Christmas cards and notes thanking us for the material and written support we provided this past Christmas to the 74 relatives of Robson Ranch residents that are on our current support list. Thirteen of them are deployed overseas and nine are currently in combat zones. We also are continuing our support of the 8-Ball MWR Center at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The Moral, Welfare and Recreation Center provides support to hundreds of personnel each day. We have received a special thank you gift from Christopher Petrie whom we supported during his 2014 assignment to the Military Information Support Team at the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. The gift is a Masai war club engraved with “Support Our Troops – Thank You” and their official logo.

Veterans Park Spring Brick Drive. There is still time to have a brick honoring a veteran in your family in the Veterans Park for the 2015 Memorial Day Ceremony. Bricks are available for a tax-deductible donation: 4×8 brick ($60), 8×8 brick ($110) and the 12×12 brick ($180). Brick order forms and a guidance document for the Tribute Book are available on the shelf below the Tribute Book in the clubhouse. You may request forms by e-mail at [email protected]. Deadline for submitting the order is April 30. You may also update the tribute text or add a new photo of the veteran during the brick drive. The deadline for Tribute Book submissions is May 18.

Membership. Our 2015 membership drive in underway. Membership in SOT is $10 per person per year. The membership dues are used to cover our administrative expenses. At the end of each year we transfer the remaining dues balance into the following year’s giving budget. You may also make a sponsorship level donation, which includes your membership. So far this year, we have received four Silver ($50); nine Gold ($100); and three Platinum ($250+) sponsorship donations. Membership and sponsor forms are located in the clubhouse kiosk or via my email address noted above.

Meetings. Support Our Troops meets at noon in the clubhouse on the third Saturday of each month from January to November. The next meeting will be on February 21 in the Bandera-Medina Rooms. In addition to our fiscal report, news from troops who have benefited from the SOT shipments, reports concerning the support team and correspondence team activities and other topics related to supporting the troops, initial planning for the SOT Spring Golf Tournament will be discussed. WWII Veteran Watson Crumbie will make a special presentation concerning his service with the U.S. Marine Corps. Please plan to join us in supporting those who defend our Nation’s freedoms.